Health and Retirement Study

Race Disparities & Consequences of Cancer Diagnosis on Preretirement Work Disruption

• March 15, 2024
• Susan Barnes
• Disability, Disability insurance, Disparities, Health, Health and Retirement Study, Labor force participation, O*NET

Cancer is among the most common health problems that adults face, leading to work disruptions and, consequently, decreased economic security of workers and their families. Black adults have higher risks of cancer-related job disruptions than their white counterparts. No research…

Inflation and Economic Security of the Older Population

• March 13, 2024
• Susan Barnes
• COVID-19, Disparities, Financial well-being, Health and Retirement Study, Inflation, retirement savings

Because the older population are net lenders, they tend to be economically vulnerable to high and increasing inflation. This research used data from the Health and Retirement Study and its supplement, the Consumption and Activities Mail Survey, to assess the…

Pathways and Persistence of Labor Force Transitions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• January 30, 2024
• Susan Barnes
• COVID-19, Demographic trends, Disability, Disparities, Health and Retirement Study, Labor force participation, Retirement

Using new data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we will document pathways out of the labor force during the COVID-19 pandemic; estimate the persistence of transitions into retirement, disability, and other nonwork states for near retirement workers; and…

Risk of Large Medical Expenditures at Older Ages and Their Impact on Economic Well-being

• January 15, 2024
• Susan Barnes
• Financial well-being, Health, Health and Retirement Study, Medicaid, Medicare, Retirement, retirement savings

Job Demands and Social Security Disability Insurance Applications

• January 12, 2024
• Susan Barnes
• Administrative data link, Disability insurance, Health and Retirement Study

Insurance Purchases of Older Americans

• January 12, 2024
• Susan Barnes
• Financial well-being, Health and Retirement Study, Health reform, Medicaid, Medicare

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Effects of COVID-19 on Employment Disruption and Financial Precarity

• September 13, 2023
• Susan Barnes
• COVID-19, Financial well-being, Health and Retirement Study, Retirement

Existing studies find that COVID-19 disproportionately affected the employment and financial security of minoritized workers. However, few studies have examined the employment and financial impact of COVID-19 among different groups of older workers. Furthermore, there is limited information on how…

Insurance Purchases of Older Americans

• July 7, 2023
• Susan Barnes
• Financial well-being, Health and Retirement Study, Health reform, Medicaid, Medicare

Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) matched to administrative Medicare and Medicaid records, and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), we estimate the determinants of Medigap insurance purchases of older Americans. Our data and framework allow us…

Using Administrative Data to Validate HRS Survey Responses on Application for DI and SSI Disability Benefits

• July 7, 2023
• Susan Barnes
• Administrative data link, Disability insurance, Health and Retirement Study, Supplemental Security Income

In this paper, we use administrative data from the Social Security Administration to validate survey responses for the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) regarding the application for disability benefits from Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI),…

Job Demands and Social Security Disability Insurance Applications

• July 7, 2023
• Susan Barnes
• Administrative data link, Disability insurance, Health and Retirement Study

We use data from the Health and Retirement Study to identify the effect of job demands on applications for Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income benefits and to assess whether these job demands have been changing among older…